Air-compressor drive means for gas-electric locomotives



C. H. FIKE April 14, 1931.

AIR COMPRESSOR DRIVE MEANS FOR GAS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES Filed May 15, 1929 INVENTQR CM/PL [a bf 17%:

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 14, 1931 STATES PATENT OFFlQli.

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H. FZKE, 0F CLEVELAITD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTROHIOTEZVE GOM- IANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO AIR-COMPRESSOR DRIVE GlS-EELEGTRZC LOCOMOTIVES Application filed May 15, 1929. Serial No. 363,316.

This invention relates to so-called gas-eleccase motor-generator set is inserted betrie motor vehicles, such as are employed in tween the battery and the traction motor higlrspeed auxiliary service by steam railfield. This, then, constitutes another object roads, operating alone as a driven unit or as of my invention.

5 a locomotive. The exact nature of my invention together A motor car of the type to which reference with further objects and advantages thereof is had, employs a large internal combustion will be apparent from the following lescripengine, as its prime mover. The engine is tion taken in connection with the accompanydirect connected with an electric generator, ing drawing w iich is a diagrammatic show- 10 and the traction wheels or" the vehicle are ing of pertinent parts of a vehicle of the class arranged to be driven by electric motors, redescri ed, with an application of my invenceiving power from the generator. tion associated therewith; it being under- Such a car is usually provided with air stood that all of the parts are associated with brakes supplied from a compressed air reserthe usual. vehicle frame which is not shown. voir in which pressure is maintained between The principal parts for propulsion of ti e limits, a motor driven air compressor being vehicle insofar as pertains to this invention, provided for the purpose; and under usual are an internal combustion engine 1 with dioperating conditions the air compressor morect connected generator 2, motor 3 having a tor is driven from the generator. Thus field winding 4 and receiving power from the 25 brake service is dependent upon functioning generator subject to suitable control means of the motor, which is therefore in the genhere represented as a mple switch 5, and a eral sense, the brake motor. traction wheel 6, posit ely, and as indicated,

However, there occasionally arises an opdirectly connected with the motor 3. eratinq condition where the profile of the The wheel 6 is equipped with a brake 7 road includes long continuous down grade shown applied to the wheel by piston 8 wherein the power demand is slight yet the movable in a gvlinder 9 undethe action of brake demand high, so that it becomes necescompressor air from the reservoir 10 subject sary to operate the air compressor when there to operation or" the valve 11. Air is forced is little or no demand from the power plant into the reservoir 10 by a compressor pump 12 for traction purposes. But operating the endriven by a compressor motor 13. glue on light loads, as for the purpose of pro- The motor 13 ordinarily receives its power viding generator output suificient merely for from the generator 2, and is started and the brake motor greatly increases engine stopped by a switch lei, which automatically maintenance. moves under the control of a piston 15, re- It, therefore, becomes desirable to have a sponsivo to pressure within the reservoir 10, source of power supply for the brake motor to maintain the reservoir pressure between other than the main generator, and this is limits as usual. broadly the object of my invention. The compressor motor circuit includes Briefly, I arrange to obtain this power "from magnetic switch C having a bridging contacone of the tract-ion motors using the same as a tor l6 balanced to the indicated position as generator, it being understood that, the tracby spring 17 and having a coil 18 by which tion motors being positively connected with the contactor 16 may be moved against the the traction wheels, the drive will be from spring 17 to disconnect the compressor nowheel to motor during coasting. To this end tor from the generator, and make alternate a source of field excitation is required and contact to establish a circuit between the mosince the main generator may be shut down, tor 3 and the compressor motor 13. an independent source must be had. I there- 19 is a battery carried by the vehicle and tore arrange for connecting a battery for the which may be that employed in starting the purpose; and this battery may conveniently engine. For the purpose of utilizing the batbe the usual engine starting battery, in which tery 19 to excite the traction motor field 4,

I insert therebetween a motor-generator set 20 having an input motor 21 and direct con nected output generator 22.

Connection between the battery and the motor 21 is immediately controlled by magnetic switch B, the contactor 23 of which is yieldably urged to open position as by spring 24, and is movable to closed position by coil 25.

The connection between the output genen ator 22 and the field l of the traction motor 3 includes a magnetic switch A, the contactor 26 of which is yieldably urged to open posi tion as by spring 27, and movable to closed position by the coil 28; so that the switch A immediately controls this exciting circuit.

The coils 18, 25 and 28 of the magnetic switches C, B and A respectively are arranged in parallel relation as indicated, in a circuit which includes the battery 19, the throttle switch 29 and the governor interlock switch 30; so that moving of th armature 16 of the switch G to connect the brake motor with the traction motor, closing of the switch B to connect the exciting motor-generator set with the battery, and closing of the switch A to connect the traction motor field in the em citing circuit, are all dependent upon simultaneous closing of the switches 29 and 30.

The switch 29 has connection as indicated at 31 with the throttle means 32 of the engine 1 whereby the switch 2-9 will close only as the engine 1 is throttled down.

The switch 30 has connection as at 33 with the reservoir-pressure-responsive piston 15, and this connection issuch that the switches 14 and 30 will open and close together.

Thus the traction motor exciting means is interlockedwiththe engine,whereby excitation may be had only when the engine is substantially shut down, and is interlocked with the brake motor whereby excitation may be had only when the brake air pressure is below the required minimum.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that whenever the vehicle is coasting, with the engine shut down, and there is a demand upon the compressor, the compressor motor will be served by the traction motor, acting as a generator and having its field excited automatically as required.

What I claim is e 1. In a seliepropelled vehicle of the class described and having a traction wheel, an electric traction motor for driving the same and arranged to be driven thereby when the vehicle is coasting, agenerator for driving said motor and an engine for driving said generator, brake means for sa1d wheel 1ncluding a brake pump motor, connections for driving sa1d pump motor by said traction motor using the latter as a generator, and

meanscarried by said vehicle and arranged for exciting the field of said traction motor accordingto the demand of said pump motor independent of said generator and hence of said engine, whereby said engine may be shut down on long down grades without aifecting brake service.

2. In a self-propelled vehicle of the class described and having a traction wheel, an electric traction motor for driving the same and arranged to be driven thereby when the vehicle is coasting, a generator for driving said motor and an engine for driving said generator, brake means for said wheel including a brake pump motor, connections for driving said pump motor by said traction motor using the latter as a generator, and means carried by said vehicle and arranged for eXcitingthe field of said traction motor independent of said generator and hence of said engine, said exciting means including a battery, a motor-generator set arranged to be driven thereby, circuits connecting said parts and including control means therefor, said control means including switch means controlling the connection of the main generator or the traction motor with the pump motor,

second switch means controlling the connec tion of the traction motor field with the generator of said set and third switch means controlling connection of the battery with the motor of said set, and means interassociating said switch means whereby they will act simultaneously, the first to disconnect the pump motor from the generator and connect it to the traction motor as the other two close.

In testimony whereof I hereby affiX my sig- CHARLES H. FIKE.

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